Extension hot-food table



C. STIRN EXTENSION HOT FOOD TABLE Aug. 19 1924.

Filed July 12 192) 2 Shanty-Sheet l INVENTOR 694/3255 677F 1 fil dATTORNEYS WITNESS 71:

Aug. 19; 1924.

C. STIRN EXTENSION HOT FOOD TABLE 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 Filed July 12 1921INVENTOR %QATT0RNEYS Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNlTED STATES 1,505,299 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES STIR-N, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

EXTENSION HOT-FOOD TABLE.

. ed a new and useful Extension Hot-Food Table, of which the followingis a specification. This invention relates to food service ap paratusand more particularly to a portable table having a heating means. It isone of the objects of this invention to provide a portable, extensiontable having a self-contained heating tray and to provide for theraising and lowering. of the heating tray from one position to another.It is an object to provide for retracting and conceal-- ing the heatingtray and for extending a table leaf from a covering position to aservice position.

An object of the invention is to provide a table structure upon whichmay be deposited a full meal for one or more persons and which table isextensible and is so constructed that it may, with the food containersthereon, be compactly arranged so as to be readily transported from akitchen to any room in an institution, and may be easily arranged in anelevator of small size.

Further, it is an object .to rovide a heating table that may be kept ina clean and sanitary condition, and which is simple in construction andnot. expensive.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be made manifest in the followingdescription of the preferred form of-the invention, which is'illustratedin the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. Itis to be understood that it is not'intended to limit the invention tothe embodimentshown by the said drawings and description, as variationsmay be adopted within the scope of the invention a set forth in theclaims.

Fig. 1 is a erspective of the improved table, parts bemg broken away.

Fig. 2ris-a plan'slnwing the table in contracted position fortransportation from room to room, a part of the top being broken away. I

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the table ready for mealservice.

Fig. 4 is a plan of a fragment of the tray showing the fillers.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the treadle fork.

Application filed July 12, 1921. Serial No. 484.106.

Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of tray.

The apparatus of the present invention includes a table having a neatrather elongated under frame or box having ends 2 and 3 connected by abottom or shelf 4, preferably having side walls 5.. This forms a chamberin which is arranged an oblong pan 6, having a seat forming top flange7, which slidably fits in the box walls. The pan is adapted to be raisedfrom a lowered position in the pan to an upper position.

Removably deposited in the seat flange 7, is a tray-like receptacle ofhollow structure having a bottom 8, and a to 9, which is dishedor'recessed to form a suitable number of shallow chambers 10, Fig. 1, ora single chamber asin Fig. 6. The wall of the chamber or chambers isspaced in. slightl from the side walls 11, which have a beade flange 12,around the top 9, of the tray. The ends of the tray may have handles 13,to facilitate handling and when the tray is deposited upon the elevatedpan, the handles pass into pockets 14, in the end wall 2-3, of the tableframe.

Secured to the ends of the frame are top end cleats 15, which project upaboutv equal to the thickness 0 a cover or leaf 16, designed to beplaced on top of the frame to cover the pan 6 and contents thereof. Inorder'to provide for the extension of the table area, there are hingedon the ends of the cleats a set of folding arms 17, having rebated innercorners forming seats onto which the cover or leaf can be shifted fortable service. The table may have extension is lowered, food containingutensils 20,

a distancev placed on the top of the tray will be below the appliedcover 16, Fig. .3. When the pan is elevated, after the cover leaf 16,has been removed, the utensils are then fully exposed and the tray restsin the top plane of the table top.

Not only does the apparatus, thus far described, form a convenient meansfor transporting food in a protected manner, from place to place, but italso provides means for keepin the utensils and their contents heated.hile any suitable means may be employed to provide heat, in the presentform of the invention an electric heatin plate 21, is supported, in thepan, on a yie dable rest, as spring arms 22, mounted on a bridge bymeans of a circuit closer 24:, yiel ingly engaging the bottom of theapplied tray 8-9, so that as the tray is applied to the seat flanges 7,it engagesthe top of the upwardly pressed, heatin plate 21, and also thecircuit closer 24. E ectric current heats the plate and this .heat istransmitted to the utensils in the tray, which latter is charged with afilling of water to envelope the depressed portion of the top. The heatmay then be raised to any desired degree up to 212 Fahrenheit. t I

To automatically control the heat a sample or suitable device may beused such as a thermostatic switch 25, which is mounted on the brid e23, so that the heating apparatus is bodi y movable as a unit tofaciliframe 23. On the brid e is also supported 'tateits inspection andinstallation, and the cleaning of the pan when. necessary.

The heating apparatus is contained .within the pan which forms,therefore, a

stove chamber adapted to be elevated from a receded position to lift thetray to the top of the table.

Suitable-means may be provided to lift the stove chamber 6. As shownhere, the

pan sets on the upper ends of spaced pairs of diagonally crossed levers26, having a pivotconnection 27, at the upper ends of upri ht links 28.The outer, lower ends of the evers have pivots 29, on the bottom 4. Thelinks 28, are attached to the forked ends 30, of a lever 31, hung .on abearing 31, below the bottom 4, and the other end of the lever 30, isconnected to a treadle 32, guided for vertical movement in guides 33 and34, which latter has a cross pin or shoulder 34'. The treadle shank hasa hook 355, to be pushed in under the in 34:, when the treadle has beenpressed fully down in the operation of liftin the pan 6, the elevatingmec'anism just described. To maintain the liquid in the hollowwalledtray at the .desired tem erature, it is only necessary to apply theeating circuit, extension-cord plug P, into any complementary socketand, the tray being in lace, closes the circuit at the closer 24. eclosed. circuit is then automatically opened and closed by thethermostatic switch 25, according to the temperature of the atmospherein the chamber of the box 6. The weight of the empty tray alone ispreferably suflicient to close the main circuit, which is opened. whenthe tray is removed.

For the purpose of economizing in the cost of heating medium utilized inthe -apparatus, the servin tray of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, asprovided within the chamber between its top and bottom, a suittheutensils 20, are disposed; the edge sur-' faces of the filling blocksbeing spaced slightly from the contiguous wall forming the recess in thetop of the tray.

What is claimed is:

1. A hot-food, serving table having a frame forming a chamber with anopen top, a leaf adjustable to cover the chamber, a removable trayconforming to the plan' area of the chamber so as to fit in the same, aheating means arranged in the chamber and including a stove pan, ofwhich the tray forms the top, means in the stove pan for heating thetray, and means for raising the stove pan from a lower position to anelevated position to bring the tray substantially frame forming achamber with an open top,

a leaf adjustable to cover the chamber and to form an extension of thetable top, a removable hollow-walled tray conforming to the plan area ofthe chamber so as to fit in the same, a heating means arranged in thechamber and including a stove pan, of

which the tray forms the top, means .in the stove pan for heating thetray, and means for raising the stove pan from a lower position to anelevated position to bring the tray substantially in the plane of thetop of the table.

3. A hot food serving table comprising a heating chamber, aremovable'hollow walled tray conforming to the plan area of the chamberand when in place forming. the.

my -hand.

CHARLES STIRN'.

